Kids Need ATV Training
Guest column by Nancy Minard
May
27, 2004 – In March of 2002 Dorothy Owens' life changed forever when
her 11-year-old daughter, Ashley, and her two small friends were permitted to
joy ride on a full-sized ATV.
They were on a rural farm in Indiana. Ashley's father fished nearby.
None of the girls was wearing a helmet when the ATV crashed through a metal fence, killing Ashley instantly and seriously injuring one of her passengers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that less than one-half of 1 percent of all ATV-related accidents ends in death. The truth is that most of these could have been prevented. Dorothy was right when she said,``It wasn't the ATV that killed my daughter, it was a lack of supervision.''
How many times have you seen a child operate a full-size ATV? Not only are children riding them, but they are taking their friends along—three, four, five at a time on a machine that is intended for one adult.
People feel safe on an ATV and think of them more as a toy than a real motor vehicle.
The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that in 2001 97 percent of children under the age of 16 who were hurt by ATVs were on machines larger than recommended.
The top ten contributing factors in an ATV accident are:
- 1. Inexperience.
- 2. No helmet.
- 3. Children riding full-sized ATVs.
- 4. Carrying passengers.
- 5. No supervision.
- 6. Riding on public roads.
- 7. Use of alcohol.
- 8. High rate of speed.
- 9. Doing stunts/showing off.
- 10. Unseen obstacles.
At a recent club event we hosted our local motorcycle dealer's company picnic. I watched as the owner's two sons, ages 10 and 11, got their very first lesson on a motorcycle.
The mother of the two boys watched intently as they learned about the controls. Then she asked, ``Why are they teaching them to ride motorcycles when ATV's are so much easier''
The instructor took the time to explain while they watched the boys take their first lap around the track. ``Teaching a child to ride a motorcycle before they hop on an ATV can be beneficial in many ways,'' he said. ``They learn to develop their balance, eye-and-hand coordination, concentration, reasoning and decision-making skills.
``They also experience the consequences that result from the decisions they make. Because they usually fall over in the beginning, they don't become over-confidant, and the weight of a small motorcycle keeps them from being seriously injured.''
Youth ATVs can weigh nearly 300 pounds and full-size machines can weight 500 to 1000 pounds. Anyone who is going to participate in ATV recreation should be properly trained. You can only gain experience by doing, but that doesn't mean you have to put yourself at risk of being seriously injured or killed.
ATV safety courses teach riders how to handle an ATV under a wide variety of circumstances in a controlled, supervised environment.
ATV recreation can be a great sport for the entire family if you ride responsibly, have the proper equipment and the knowledge and experience to reduce the risks.
To find an ATV RiderCourse, contact the ATV Enrollment Express toll-free at (800) 887-288, or log on at www.atvsafety.org. You may be eligible for free training if you have purchased a new ATV. If you aren't eligible for free training, you may take the ATV RiderCourse for a small fee.
For a dirt bike class contact the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at (800) 446-9227, or go to www.msf-usa.org.
Nancy Minard is president of the North Carolina OHV Association and is owner/operator of Highlanders Outdoor Recreation Resource Services.